Strategies for Access to Places for Physical Activity

Overview

Communities can use this strategy to create or enhance access to places for physical activity. Places can include public parks and trails, fitness and recreational facilities, schools and universities, malls, senior centers, and worksites.

This strategy includes providing information to encourage people to use the places. Promoting physical activity may involve training, incentives, and teaching about healthy behaviors.

Worksites, school districts, early childhood and education facilities, organizations, and community coalitions can be involved in this strategy.

Approaches to consider

Parks and recreation centers

Communities can provide access to safe places to be physically active, such as walking trails, indoor facilities, parks, and playgrounds that are away from busy streets. Health and fitness facilities provide indoor opportunities to be physically active. These locations and facilities can also provide comfortable places for physical activity for people with mobility limitations or chronic health conditions.

Shared-use agreements

Shared-use agreements allow public access to existing facilities. The agreements define terms and conditions for sharing the costs and risks associated with expanding a property’s use. For example, school districts may create shared-use agreements to allow after-hours access to school facilities for community members' use.

Workplace facilities and policies

Workplace facilities and policies designed to improve health behaviors can help employees to be more active. Worksites can encourage physical activity through a variety of approaches, including management support, physical access to facilities, policies, and social support programs.

Working together

See how workplaces are helping employees be more physically active and creating activity-friendly communities.

• Bike Share Program Offers State Employees Another Way to Be Active in California
• Creating a Wellness Culture in Worksites in Louisiana
• Workplace Wellness Program Gets Employees Moving at Work in South Dakota
• Current Practices in Worksite Wellness Initiatives

Resources

Community Preventive Services Task Force Recommendations

Creating or Improving Places for Physical Activity

Park, Trail, and Greenway Infrastructure Interventions when Combined with Additional Interventions

Parks and recreation centers

Community Engagement Resource Guide*
How to implement equitable and inclusive community engagement strategies. Includes an internal assessment, community engagement strategies, and an evaluation framework.

Complete Parks Playbook
Can be used as a guide to assess a community's parks system. Explains elements of a complete parks system and offers resources to implement each element.

Creating Equity-Based System Master Plans*
Helps users focus on multiple benefits while gaining support from partners across different sectors.

Creating Parks and Public Spaces for People of All Ages: A Step-by-Step Guide*
Helps when collecting data, evaluating opportunities, and generating ideas about increasing the quality and quantity of parks and outdoor spaces.

Parks for Inclusion Guide*
Resources for creating policies that emphasize reaching groups that have historically been underserved.

The Toolkit for Health, Arts, Parks and Equity (HAP-E)*
Includes case studies, principles, and guidelines to use arts and culture, parks, and public space to celebrate communities.

Shared-use agreements

Joint Use and Equity*
Helps community leaders and practitioners consider health equity when designing, implementing, and evaluating joint use agreements.

Shared Use Playbook
Compiles tools and resources for formalizing shared use agreements. It highlights the benefits of shared use for a community's health and compares different types of policies and agreements.

Shared Use and Tribal Nations*
Introduction to legal concepts unique to Indian Country. Includes a glossary and community highlights.

Workplace facilities and policies

CDC Worksite Health ScoreCard Manual
Helps employers assess health promotion programs, identify gaps, and prioritize strategies to promote employee health and well-being.

Inclusive Worksite Wellness Toolkit*
Offers tips, strategies, and resources to ensure that worksite wellness programs include people with disabilities.

Total Worker Health
How to implement workplace safety and health programs. Issues covered include work-life supports, the built environment, and community supports for physical activity.

Walk This Way: A Resource on State and Local Policies That Support Physical Activity and Wellness in and Around the Workplace
Topics include policies for wellness councils, government wellness programs, paid leave for physical activity, and tax credits for small businesses with workplace wellness programs.

*Can be used to help address equitable and inclusive access to physical activity